The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-05
THE INDIAN POLICY
OF TRE GOVERNMENT TO sTARvE
AND DESTROY
Illustrated by the Senatorial Com
ttee's Report. who Preferred
Naked DaBces 10 schools.

WASHINGTON, June About two
weeks ago the result of the observa-
tions of a special committee of the
United States Senate, consisting of
Senators Platt, of Connentiout: Gull
lon, of Illinois, and Blackburn, of
Kentucky, in regard to the manner
inwhich Indian traderships and other
Indian matters generally were con-
Quoted, was published. The Morning
STR, the organ of the Indian schools,
has this to say in reply to the semi
official publ LEGATION of Senatorial opin-
ion: $50 the Senatorial Com mittee
were spectators at an Indian dance.
1t will be noted that the dispatch
says nothing about their having visit
ed the Indian school at the Usage
Agency. Their visit to the dance
and omission of the school would in
dictate to the Indians that the dance
was the important element of the
reservation lite they wished to
see. The fact that they
came to criticise and condemn
will probably never reach the
Indians, who will rest under the
belief that they did the most proper
thing they could to entertain their
great visitors. We do not disagree
with the general statements showing
the want of progress among the
Osages. 1t would be singular if they
did make progress when they have
fifty miles square of land set apart
for their exclusive use, from which
is shut out in the most absolute man
ner every element of and necessity
for instruction and progress pertain
ing to our civilization except the
merest nominal showing of an agent
aud few employees. Commerce. ex-
cept that of trader or two whose
use the committee were inquiring
into, is prohibited. Industry, mills,
manufactures of every sort dare not
enter, railroads cannot go. Schools
aud churches find no welcome out
side the one agency school. The peo-
pie are all the wards of the govern
ment, and the government has as
sumed all responsibility over them
mentally, morally and physically.
By the exclusion of Industrial helps,
etc.-these absolutely indispensable
factors in the elevation of all men
the government has indicated unmis-
takablV its intention to starve and
destroy these people mentally, moral
ly and physically. The statement.
But to find that helm IS wi o had ex-
perienced the best efforts OF Ameri-
can philanthropy for a score Of years
had made no appreciable advance
beyond the state of their savage an-
cestors was an unexpected and pain
full revelation, shows plainly that
this committee of great men were
completely blinded as to the facts.
We have known the Ossges for many
years, aud observed their condition
personally from time to time, and
feel free to say that the best eff
forts Of American philanthropy, as
illustrated in what has gone to them
is only parallelled in absurdity by
the Inquiries aud criticisms OF the
committee in regard to the young
men alleged to be Carlisle gradu-
ates.' Turning to our record we
fDd that we have had in all at this
school eighty-fou Osages; hat none
of them had stayed with US more
than three years; that more than
half stayed with us less than year,
and that we have had no Osages
at the school since August IL, 1885,
at which time the then about forty
were ordered by the department to
Martinsburg, Pa. The day of mira,
cles has not yet returned, and
Indians cannot be educated and
graduated IN three years any bet
ter than white children. But the
point upon which we would lay the
most stress is the fact that there is
no evidence that the committee made
inquiries into the condition Of the